Puzzle No. 1

Across

1. Claim portion of clients (4)

3. Bloody springtime activity! (8)

8. Thought about minute and second hand (5)

10. Go, dude! Tear up last of cotton pique! (7)

11. Man at home about mid-day (3)

12. Herb makes Chinese "boiled liver" (7)

15. Latitude of, I hear, meadow with by-product of cheese-making (6)

16. Spare place to stay in wild blue yonder (6)

19. Light love operating in satire (7)

20. One way to film Greek god (3)

22. Report stormy recital (7)

24. Spotted dips scattered around end table (5)

25. Sorry beginning of central Ontario service (8)

26. Sue's new exercises (4)

Down

1. Clearly without strength, confined, unconscious (8)

2. Fundamental character of Hebrew ascetic around first century (7)

5. Not even 2 degrees below zero (3)

6. Highly desirable to get one contract (5)

7. Comfortable retired hit men (4)

9. Talk loudly about December mail mess (7)

13. Six sovereigns for northern raiders (7)

14. "100 yen," said stranger, "for poisons" (8)

17. Table linens in overturned pot beside untidy sink (7)

18. Disturb in dark spot on back street (6)

19. Mexican, perhaps, rested around final act (5)

21. Soft rock from "Quartet, Alcazar" (4)

23. Incomplete maintenance for vehicle (3)

Answers & Explanations